ARLINGTON, Texas - Former UT Arlington standouts Kevin Butler and Brandon Edwards are beginning their basketball careers overseas after recently signing their first professional contracts.

Butler signed with the Dresden Titans in the ProB league in Germany. The forward nicknamed "Big Cat" played two years for the Mavericks from 2011-13, earning third-team All-WAC honors as a senior.

Butler's first reaction after getting the offer from Dresden is exactly what you might expect.

"We made it. I was happy," he said. "I finally got a contract. It was a breakthrough for me after missing out last year. I'm very excited."

Butler's goals with the Titans begin on the business side. While earning a paycheck to play the game he loves is his first priority, he wants to take advantage of living in another country.

"They got third place last year in their division and our goal this year is to get first place," he said. "They're excited for me to come and I'm excited to be there. I hope to have a great experience playing pro ball and hopefully move on to the next level, and also learn a new culture."

Edwards finished up his collegiate career this past season and made his mark in the program's record book. The graduate of Fort Worth South Hills is the second all-time leading rebounder in school history with 852. Edwards' 314 rebounds in 2013-14 are the most in a single season in UTA history.

He was named to the All-Sun Belt Conference third team as a senior. Edwards was the eighth-leading scorer in the conference (16.5) and second-leading rebounder (9.8). He racked up a team-leading 14 double-doubles.

Playing professionally is a dream come true for Edwards. He signed with the Club Baloncesto Breogán S.A.D., which is based in Lugo, Spain. CB Breogán competes in the LEB Oro league.

"I was pretty excited because I've been waiting for a long time," he said. "Most teams wait until the NBA Summer League is over before they start signing players so the deadline was approaching quickly and I was excited that I got a contact."

Edwards credits the four years he spent at UT Arlington as helping him prepare for the next level.

"I think my mental toughness and how hard I play will be able to transfer over to a different league and a different environment," he said.